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Website of the Month Archive

2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008

October 2002:
"Society for Neuroscience" - excellent resources in the neurological sciences, including Brain Facts, Brain Briefings, and other special topics.
http://www.sfn.org

November 2002:
"Neuroscience for Kids" - Professor Chudler, University of Washington, has created a site for students and teachers to learn about the nervous system. This interactive site has many activities and a wealth of information at your fingertips.
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/neurok.html

December 2002:
"The Secret Life of the Brain," - PBS offers a wonderful recapitulation of their outstanding 2002 series. A book by the same name was published early last year.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/brain/

January 2003:
"Zero to Three" and "BrainWonders" - In and of itself, the Zero to Three website is a terrific resource for parents, students, and instructors. If you are looking for information on brain development, you will want to go directly to the "Brain Wonders" section. You will find information designed for parents, childcare providers, and physicians, but, in fact, the information in all areas is useful and understandable for anyone.
http://www.zerotothree.org
http://www.zerotothree.org/brainwonders/

February 2003
"Neurosurgery://On-Call" - Not one of our top choices, but a decent site. Check out the materials under "Patient Resources" on the home page. There is good description of brain anatomy. You also will find a link in "Patient Resources" to a "Brain Quiz" that might be fun for your students. Finally, explore the "Think First" section - it has some materials on shaken infant syndrome and brain/spinal cord injury. http://www.neurosurgery.org

March 2003
"Brain Connection: The Brain and Learning" - Brain Connection, a commercial web resource of Scientific Learning, provides up to date information in neurology and brain development. This site offers information on topics ranging from bilingual education to stress and coping. It has interactive brainteasers and other brain activities, which are as entertaining as they are informative.
http://www.brainconnection.com

April 2003
"Brain Wiring" -Brain Wiring is a diverse resource for information on various brain disorders and general brain functioning. Along with useful information on disorders such as AD/HD, Autism and Depression, there are sections on the gifted, sensory integration, and learning strategies. http://www.brainwiring.com

May 2003
"The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)" - NIDA provides resources and up to date information on illegal drug use in the US. It cites breaking news, scientific journals, and developing trends in the illegal drug market.http://www.nida.nih.gov

June 2003
"New Hope for Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect: Proven Solutions to Save Lives and Prevent Future Crime" We're departing from regular procedures this month to suggest an article rather than a website, although the entire "Fight Crime" website is excellent! Let us know what you think of the article. "New Hope for Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect" is an excellent resource that combines new research and ideas with established trends and information regarding violence, crime and the maltreatment of children.http://www.fightcrime.org

July 2003
"The National Institute of Mental Health" (NIMH)" is an excellent resource. NIMH provides a variety of articles, research studies, and news items related to brain development as well as mental health issues. Dr. Daniel Pine, a featured speaker at the "Networking Neurons: Making Connections" conference, is a research scientist at NIMH. http://www.nimh.nih.gov

August 2003
"Development and Neurobiology" (Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine) - This site features a series of articles on a variety of subjects related to brain development. The articles on Learning and Memory, Autism, and ADHD are particularly interesting.http://info.med.yale.edu/chldstdy/plomdevelop/

September 2003:
"About Our Kids" (Child Study Center, New York University) - This site features a series of articles on a variety of subjects related to child development, including the effects of trauma, going back to school, mental health issues, critical periods of development, and many more. http://www.aboutourkids.org/index.html

October 2003:
"Child Trauma Academy" (Dr. Bruce Perry's site) - Returning to our roots, we'd like to feature Dr. Perry's site again. He really was largely responsible for getting us started on early brain development. Although he has moved from Houston to his new position as Senior Fellow of the ChildTrauma Academy, he continues to maintain an excellent website filled with materials that are easily "downloadable." This link takes you directly to his materials.
http://www.childtrauma.org/ctamaterials/default.asp

November/December 2003:
"Talaris Research Institute" - Talaris Research Institute is a non-profit institute for advanced study based in Seattle. Talaris's mission is to advance knowledge of early brain development for all who nurture children. Dedicated to discovering how children think, feel and learn, Talaris combines the science of learning with the practice of learning. http://www.talaris.org/

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January 2004:
"Dana" - Dana.org serves as a gateway to brain information. It contains information about the programs, activities, and publications of the Dana Foundation and the Dana Alliance. Visit the Brain Information and BrainWeb section to access general information about the brain and current brain research. And don't miss their "Select a Publication" section - many of their publications are free and can be downloaded.
http://www.dana.org

February 2004:
"Neuroscience Training Program," University of Wisconsin-Madison - This site is for all you research-oriented members! Explore the whole site, but definitely go the "Research" section. It highlights all the participating neuroscientists and has PDF files of many of their research articles, so you can download them.
http://ntp.neuroscience.wisc.edu/

March 2004:
Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison - Explore the whole site, but definitely go the "Research" section. It highlights all the participating neuroscientists and has PDF files of many of their research articles, so you can download them. It's a terrific way to follow the basic research of such eminent scientists as Richard Davidson, Christopher Coe, Hill Goldsmith, and Seth Pollack.
http://www.waisman.wisc.edu

April 2004:
Center for Neuro Skills: Traumatic Brain Injury Resource Guide - A fairly decent site with articles and diagrams related to brain structure and brain injury. Check out the five sections on the left side of the home page, especially "News and Education," "Research," and "Tools." There are a number of free articles included on the site and good brain diagrams under "Brain Map" in the "Research" section.
http://www.neuroskills.com/index.html?main=tbi/brain.html

May 2004:
Project on the Decade of the Brain: Program and Speakers, Tuesday, May 5, 1998 - Although this is a fairly old site, the material is excellent. Rarely, do we have an opportunity to read the presentations of such a large number of respected neuroscientists, such as Eric Kandel, Felton Earls, Antonio Damasio, Stanley Greenspan, Joseph LeDoux, and our friend, Richie Davidson. Check it out!
http://lcweb.loc.gov/loc/brain/emotion/Program.html

June 2004:
Brain & Mind: Electronic Magazine on Neuroscience - An interesting site, the material is excellent. There are 17 issues on-line; the last was posted one year ago. In addition to numerous articles on a variety of neuroscience topics, the site features an intriguing "Neuroscience Art Gallery." The site is a publication of the Center for Biomedical Informatics at the State University of Campinas, Brazil.
http://www.epub.org.br/cm/

July 2004:
American Academy of Pediatrics: EARLY BRAIN DEVELOPMENT IN CHILDREN AND LEARNING - At the site accessed above features a one-pager that might be a good resource for parents and/or students. From this page review the options on the AAP Home Page, especially the "Parenting Corner" and "Health Topics." The Academy has a lot of good information on a variety of topics pertinent to children, including ADHD, autism, developmental stages, behavioral and mental health, adolescence, etc. http://www.aap.org/mrt/brain.htm

August 2004:
MEDtropolis - This site is excellent and is recommended by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The pictures of the brain and related information are among the best we've seen. Also check out the following sections: "Health References," "Health Conditions," "Living with…" Good website - don't miss it!!
http://www.medtropolis.com/VBody.asp

September/October 2004:
Duke Research: SPECIAL SECTION -- Discovering the Genesis of Mind: Duke's Pioneering Brain Research. This is an excellent site sponsored by Duke University. Although this issue of Duke Research was published in 2001, the articles continue to be useful. "The scientific mysteries that the faculty are tackling illustrate both the potential for cognitive neuroscientists to explain the mind, as well as the daunting research challenges they face. The researchers seek to understand how the human brain enables us to understand language, pay attention, grasp numbers and store emotion-laden memories."
http://www.dukeresearch.duke.edu/database/detail.cgi?SPECIAL+SECTION+--
+Discovering+the+Genesis+of+Mind:+Duke%27s+Pioneering+Brain+Research

November 2004:
National Scientific Council on the Developing Child - This is a "don't miss" new site featuring many outstanding neuroscientists including Jack Shonkoff, who edited the important book, From Neurons to Neighborhoods. At the bottom of the Home Page is a link to a terrific article, "What Science Tells Us: How Neurobiology and Developmental Psychology Are Changing the Way Policymakers and Communities Should Think About the Developing Child." http://www.developingchild.net/news.shtml

December 2004:
New York Academy of Science - This site provides access to a lecture, including slides, by Ron Dahl on the adolescent brain. He's had a good deal of influence on the WCCF Level V Adolescent Brain Development materials - you'll see why when you see and hear him!
http://www.nyas.org/ebriefreps/main.asp?intSubsectionID=1254

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January 2005:
Society for Research in Child Development - Abstracts are provided for the longer articles published in the journal, Child Development. There is enough information provided to understand the results of a variety of research projects on topics ranging from early childhood through adolescence.
http://www.srcd.org/public.html

February 2005:
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development - Check out the section on "Neuroscience Research Support at NICHD" - there's a link about one-quarter of the way down the home page. Both the "News Release" and the "Publications" are worth exploring. http://www.nichd.nih.gov/default.htm

March 2005:
Autism Speaks: It's Time to Listen - If you have a DSL hook-up, it is more likely that you will be able to access all facets of this site. My dial-up doesn't accommodate all the possibilities in terms of watching the videos, etc. None-the-less, there are enough written materials to make it worth looking at and then I promise to lighten up on the "autism" information for awhile.
http://autismspeaks.org/autism/index.asp

April 2005:
Let's Re-Visit a Couple of Winners! These are two of the best sites available.
Dana has a wealth of new materials and the Society for Neuroscience has a terrific link to "Brain Briefings" Dana Foundation http://www.dana.org/
Society for Neuroscience: ttp://web.sfn.org/content/Publications/BrainBriefings/index.html

May 2005:
Brain: The World Inside Your Head - Although I don't like to recommend commercial sites, this one is excellent. Great information and good links. Check it out!
http://www.pfizer.com/brain/index-2.html

June 2005:
BrainPlace.com
This site is Dr. Daniel Amen's site. He's controversial, but there is interesting material here. Check out the links that are listed on the left side of the home page.
http://www.brainplace.com/

July 2005:
UCLA Researchers Map How Schizophrenia Engulfs Teen Brains
Dramatic Images Hold Hope for Early Diagnosis, Treatment of Devastating Disease
This is a great site with many valuable links. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page and click on (back to main list) to access many of Thompson's articles. He is one of the leading researchers on topics related to the teen brain.
http://www.loni.ucla.edu/~thompson/MEDIA/PNAS/Press_release.html

August 2005:
Alcohol and the Adolescent Brain
The site of Aaron M. White, Assistant Research Professor in the Psychiatry Department of Duke University Medical Center, has a good description of adolescent brain development and the impact of alcohol during adolescence. Good website - don't miss it!!
http://www.duke.edu/~amwhite/Adolescence/

September 2005:
Brain Awareness: Oregon Health and Science University
This is a decent site. Check out the "Brain Health" and "Brain News" sections. There also are a number of good links provided in the articles and the "Resources" section.
http://www.oregonbrains.org/outreach/baw/index.shtml

October 2005:
Harvard Graduate School of Education: Mind, Brain, and Education
Take the time to explore this entire site; you will want to take a look at the "Resources" section listed in the box on the left of the home page. Also check out the items under "MBE Highlights."
http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=mbe&pageid=icb.page635

November 2005:
Human Neuroimaging Laboratory: Baylor College of Medicine
Another great site--recently discovered, although Dr. Bruce Perry used to be at Baylor!
This site has excellent information on a variety of topics, both under "Projects" and "Publicity." There are a large number of articiles that are available to be downloaded. Those on the brain and trust are fascinating. Don't miss this one!!
http://www.hnl.bcm.tmc.edu/index.html

December 2005:
Tufts University Child & Family Web Guide
This link takes you directly to the "brain development" page, which includes a variety of important links to other sites as well as to related "categories" and "topics," some sorted by age. The really neat feature of these lists is that the links are rated, "good" to "excellent." A great site to help you find valuable information on a variety of topics!!
http://www.cfw.tufts.edu/topic/4/76.htm

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January 2006:
Wellcome Laboratory of Neurobiology
A fantastic assortment of papers on a variety of neurobiological topics (use the "Papers" link) presented by the United Kingdoms' Laboratory of Neurobiology. Check out the "Who We Are" link for even more info.
http://www.vislab.ucl.ac.uk/index.html

February 2006:
The DANA Foundation
This continues to be just about the best "brain" site on the web. New materials are added continually. Be sure to check out the newly posted Cerebrum articles. Review the archives, Vol. 5, No. 3: Summer 2003, to read Ron Dahl's article on adolescence. Be sure to check out their publications, especially Brain Connections - available as a PDF. http://www.dana.org/

March 2006:
National Child Care Information Center
For those of you who would like to re-visit the topic of early childhood brain development and discover the latest research, this may be the site you are looking for! It provides a rich assortment of links to the best information available today. Check it out!
http://www.nccic.org/poptopics/brain.html

April 2006:
Development and Neurobiology: Yale University
This site presents some of the best articles on multiple facets of brain development - from childhood to adolescence. Many articles also include links to related publications that are "downloadable." Please also check out the two links on the left side of the page - "Past Articles" and "CSC - Child Study Center." This is a highly recommended "Web Feature of the Month." You may have been here before, but it's time for a return visit!
http://info.med.yale.edu/chldstdy/plomdevelop/

May/June 2006:
Children, Youth, and Family Consortium, (University of Minnesota)
An excellent site with a lot of "important non-brain info," but for specifics around brain development, click on "Search Our Site" and type in "Brain Development" for a good selection of contemporary research and policy information. Check it out! http://www.cyfc.umn.edu/

July 2006:
"Neuroscience Training Program," University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Time to re-visit a previous Web Feature of the Month! The Neuroscience Training site has added a newsletter, "Brain Waves," (click on Resources to retrieve it). Explore the whole site, but definitely go the "Research" section. It highlights all the participating neuroscientists and has PDF files of many of their research articles, so you can download them. It's a terrific way to follow the basic research of such eminent scientists as Richard Davidson, Ron Kalil, Ned Kalin, Ann Kelley, and Meyer Jackson. http://ntp.neuroscience.wisc.edu/

August 2006:
University of Minnesota: Institute of Child Development (Faculty ResearchProjects).
Here's a great site with many of the nation's leading research scientists. Be sure to check out the links to Bryon Egelund, Megan Gunnar, Charles A. Nelson (don't miss!!), Arthur J. Reynolds (just moved from the Waisman Ctr. @ UW), and L. Alan Stroufe. This site is well worth your time - explore it!
http://education.umn.edu/icd/research/default.html

September 2006:
BrainBlog: News About Our Knowledge of the Brain and Behavior
Ok, I finally gave in!! Not being a blogger myself, I have resisted recommending such sites, but this one is recommended in Scientific American MIND. I checked it out - it's so/so, in my estimation, but I recommend that you try it - and check the archives. There may be some worthwhile items there. Guess this site needs to be bookmarked and checked regularly!
http://neuropsychological.blogspot.com/

December 2006:
The Neurosciences Institute
A worthwhile site. Check out the links to “Scientific Staff” for individual websites with more info and “Spring 2006 BrainMatters.” Institute director, Gerald M. Edelman, is an outstanding researcher.www.nsi.edu

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January 2007:
National Child Care Information Center. An outstanding site providing links to numerous brain development web locations! Check it out. http://www.nccic.org/poptopics/brain.html

February 2007
“Center for Brain and Cognition” University of California-San Diego
This site is for all you research-oriented members! Explore the “Laboratories” sections; many articles are downloadable.
http://www-psy.ucsd.edu/chip/cbc.html

March 2007
“The Salk Institute of Biological Studies”
This is a great site. Some tips: on the left side of home page, view the selections when you move the mouse over “faculty and research.” Click on “faculty.” Two faculty members whose sites are definitely worth visiting are Fred Gage (a lot on the birth of new neurons) and Ursula Bellugi. Also check out the “New Inside Salk” magazine – link is on the home page.
http://www.salk.edu

April 2007
“National Institute of Mental Health" http://www.nimh.nih.gov/
"National Institute on Drug Abuse” http://www.nida.nih.gov/
These continue to be great sites; both have been updated. Terrific information on the NIMH site about autism and ADHD, as well as many other items of interest. Don’t forget that the NIDA site offers a wealth of free materials.

May 2007
Welcome to the LeDoux Lab! Center for Neural Science, New York University.
This is a site we should have featured long ago – it just took us until now to find it. Joseph LeDoux, a well-known neuroscientist and author of The Emotional Brain and Synaptic Self, has a topnotch web page. Check out “News and Events” and “Publications,” although everything is worth a visit!
http://www.cns.nyu.edu/home/ledoux/Ledouxlab.html
Also, check out the Center for Neural Science; once there, click on the “Emotional Brain Institute” link. Finally, when you reach the “Emotional Brain Institute,” DON’T MISS “About Our Kids” (http://www.aboutourkids.org/) - great information on ADHD, autism, etc. Lots to explore!!!

June 2007
"Temporal Dynamics of Learning Center"
An interesting site which will be developed further as research progresses on the role of time and timing in learning, across multiple scales, brain systems, and social systems. The scientific goal of the center is therefore to understand the temporal dynamics of learning, and to apply this understanding to improve educational practice. There is another valuable link on the right side of the home page to “Brain Connection.” Check it out. http:/tdlc.calit2.net/index.php

July 2007
"Scientific American Mind"
Make no mistake about it. This site is designed to coax you into subscribing to these two magazines - Scientific American and Scientific American MIND. However, there are many excellent free articles available as well as a new blog on “Mind Matters.” And, there is an opportunity to purchase individual issues that you be especially interested in…check it out! http://www.sciammind.com

August 2007
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center: Mayerson Center
Frank Putnam is a leading research scientist on the effects of CAN on the developing brain. This site recaps the results of a long-term study of childhood sexual abuse. However, there are numerous links to other important articles on CAN as well. This is a “don’t miss” site for those interested in the effects of CAN. Also highly recommended is Bruce Perry’s latest book, The Boy Who Was as a Dog. It’s both moving and inspirational! We can make a difference.
http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/research/div/
child-abuse/publications.htm

September 2007
Discover Magazine has a specific section on the website dedicated to the mind and brain. It is a source for current articles on a wide variety of topics relating to the brain. A monthly e-newsletter is available through this site as well. It is a good one to keep bookmarked to pique your interest about the latest information coming out. http://discovermagazine.com/topics/mind-brain

October 2007
"Child Trauma Academy," (Dr. Bruce Perry's site) - Once again returning to our roots, we would like to feature Dr. Perry's site. He really was largely responsible for getting us started on early brain development. He continues to maintain an excellent site filled with materials that are easily "downloadable." This link takes you directly to his materials: http://www.childtrauma.org/materials/default.asp
It is especially timely to highlight Dr. Perry's site this month, as he will be featured as the keynote speaker at the WCCF upcoming Child Policy Forum luncheon on November 14th in Madison. Mark your calendars and be sure not to miss this one! For details on that event, click here

November 2007
Neuroscience for Kids. This was the second site we featured when we began “Website of the Month” in 2002. We hope you have returned to it regularly because it is an outstanding site. Chudler is updating the information on a regular basis – there’s always something new!
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/neurok.html
Also, check out: http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/ehc.html
This doesn’t seem to be accessible from the main site, but it has some terrific links.

December 2007
Steven Pinker: There are terrific articles under the articles link. Be sure to read “What the F***” under “Selected Articles in Magazines and Newspapers.” Many wonderful selections here! http://pinker.wjh.harvard.edu/

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January/February 2008
Karen A. Frenkel. Ms. Frenkel is an award-winning science and technology journalist and author. There are terrific articles under the “Selected Works” sidebar. Be sure to page down to The Village Voice: Your Brain on 911. Many wonderful selections here! http://www.karenafrenkel.com/

March 2008
Dr. John Ratey. Dr. Ratey is the author of one of my favorite books, A Users Guide to the Brain. He is associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and has a private practice in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His latest book, Spark, emphasizes the connection between exercise and healthy brain ‘maintenance.’ His website obviously publicizes the book, but also provides a lot of information on his theories, articles, and other resources. Check it out!
www.johnratey.com

April 2008
The DANA Foundation. We have frequently highlighted the DANA Foundation as a terrific resource for “readable” information on the brain. The site noted above is specific to information for, and from, this year’s Brain Awareness Week (March 10-16). Be sure to check out all the links including those on the top tool bar. Great Site!! http://brainweek.dana.org

May 2008
Brain Rules. What's a Brain Rule? It's one thing scientists know for sure about how our brain works. Don’t miss this website – there are some great video clips, links, etc. This is one you MUST check out! http://www.brainrules.net/

June/July 2008
The Science Daily. We must have been sleeping at the switch to have missed this site. Information on all facets of brain research! The topic choices are located in the left panel on the home page. I just found a good article on prenatal exposure to drugs, alcohol, & tobacco. Explore & have fun! Great Site!!
http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/

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Project Staff

Jill Jacklitz, Deputy Director
Deborah McNelis , Early Childhood Education Specialist